Fire extinguisher



llg. 27, 1929. A Q BADGER 1,725,777

FIRE EXTINGUISHER I 4 Filed Oct. l2, 1927 the art.

Patente-d Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR C. BADGER, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

man EXTINGUISHE'R.

Application filed October 12, 1927.

This invent-ion relates to fire extinguishers of the type of that shown in my prior application Serial No. 143,410, filed October 22, 1926, that is, the type using an originally confined highly compressed gas, which is released at the instant oit use, as the propelling force for discharging the extinguishing liquid, and in which the body ot ext1nguishing liquid is arranged to submerge and envelop the compressed gas holder during discharge, so as to deliver heat thereto and prevent liqueicaction or solidilication ot the gas, due to loss of heat by expansion, when discharged under low temperature conditions.

The object of the invention is to obtain a better and more complete thermal contact between the extinguishing liquid and the compressed gas container thanis accomplished in the extinguisher described 1n the yabove entitled application, and also to position and mount the gas contained in a manner which permits a simpliiication of the construction of the head portion of the extinguisher easing.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section of a lire extinguisher embodying the improvements ot' the present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary cross sections on lines 2-2 and 2- 3, respectively, of Fig. 1 and on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary axial section illustrating the action of' the punch in perforating the compressed gas container.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever they occur in all the figures.

The extinguisher shell comprises a head portion 1 and a body portion 2, the former being conveniently made as a casting and the latter as a sheet metal tube, drawn or abricated with a. bottom head 3 and suitably secured to the head 1 by means well known in Such head terminates in an open neck externally threaded, to which is applied a cap or cover 4 removable for charging the extinguisher. In the side of the head is formed a passage 5 to which is connected a iiexible discharge tube 6. The passage 5 opens into the interior of the casing and is controlled by a valve 7 of any suitable character, preferably spring closedand arranged to be opened by a sufficiently high internal pressure.

Serial No. 225,804.

The pressure for discharging the extinguisher is furnished by a highly compressed gas coniined in a cartridge or container 8, preferably having continuous integral walls completely enveloping the compressed gaseous charge and made by Welding together an initially separate body and cap,l aiter illing with the gas, as explained in my prior applications for Letters Patent, Serial No. 692,468, filed February 13, 1924, and Serial No. 64,047, iiled October 21, 1925. The pressure charge is preferably carbon dioxide gas compressed to a pressure of 600 to 800 pounds per square inch. This container or cartridge is externally threaded adjacent to one end and is screwed into the lower end of a tube 9 which is internally threaded at its opposite end and screwed to a boss 10 projecting from the inner side oi the cover 4. T he tube 9 is formed with an interior conical AHangs 11 which terminates at such a distance within the tube that its edge is adapted to .bear on the end wall o the cartridge and make tight engagement therewith when the cartridge is screwed far enough into the tube for secure attachment. The compleinental threads of 'the cartridge and tube are suit ably located and extended suiciently to obtain this result. In the outer walls of the tube 9, surrounding the interior flange 11 are one or more openings 12 sutliciently large in area to permit entrance of the extinguishing liquid into contact with the end of the 'cartridge when the extinguisher is inverted for discharging.

The tube 9 is also provided at one side with a boss 13 in which is a passageway 14 opening into the interior space of the tube within the flange 11, but not communicating with the space outside of the flange. A pipe or tube 15 is screwed or otherwise tightly fastened in the end of the passageway'14 and extends nearly to the bottom head 3 of the extinguisher in order to conduct the gas, when released, through the extinguishing liquid without mixing therewith and to deliver the gas above the surface level et the liquid, the extinguisher being then inverted.

There is also arranged centrally within the tube 9 and connected with its walls by arms 16, a plunger guide 17, the function of which is to guide the punch 18 by which the cartridge is punctured at the time of discharge. y

The punch above mentioned is Jformed on a plunger 19 which passes through a stulling box. 20 in the cover and carries a head 2l on its outer end. |The punch proper is cylindrical, slightly tapered at its extremity 22 and havine a cutting edge on itsend, the area of which is nearly as large as the cylindrical part. It has a shallow recess 23 in one side adjacent to the tapered extremity to furnish a channel of restricted and predetermined area for escape oi the gas.

In use the extinguisher, having previously been charged with a suitable non-inflammable liquid, which will not freeze extremely lou7 temperatures, such as carbon tetrachloride, or an aqueous salt solution having a low freezing point, is inverted and the protruding end of the punch plunger is struck against some solid obj ect. The punch is thereby thrust through the adjacent end Wall of the cartridge, which is preferably made of reduced thickness over an area someA what larger than that of the punch and in line therewith. The cutting end ot the punch then severs a disk from the cartridge head and its tapered portion crowds the rim of the hole so formed into tight engagement With the sides ot the cylindrical part of the punch, so that the punch is held by friction and Will not be forced out of the cartridge by the fluid pressure therein. The groove 28, having been carried by the morement of the punch across the head of the cartridge, provides a restricted channel through which the compressed gas may escape at a retarded rate approximately equal to the rate of discharge of the extinguishing liquid past the outlet valve 7.

After leaving the cartridge, the path of least resistance for the gas is through the relatively Wide passage lll and bore of the tube l5, to the open space above the liquid level adjacent to the inverted bottom head 3; the rim of the flange l1 being so close against the cartridge head as to prevent, Wholly or substantially, escape of the gas between them. The extinguishing liquid is admitted through the openings 12 to the space around the flange ll and contiguous to the cartridge head, when the extinguisher is charged, if filled to a level above the cartridge, and in any case upon inversion of the extinguisher. Thus the cartridge is enveloped in the liquid during discharge, and particularly the major part of its head, from the circumference 'to a point as near as possible to the outlet channel, and remains in contact with the liquid until the compressed gas has been practically all discharged. Hence the heat oit the liquid is conducted through the Walls and head of the cartric ge to the escaping j gas, as the temperature of the latter becomes lowered by expansion, and the gas is thereby prevented from solidfying even though reduced in temperature to a point at which it would freeze and block up the outlet channel if the provisions herein described or equivalent provisions were not made for permitting access of the liquid to the head of the cartridge. y

I have shown and described the interior flange ll as being conical. This is a simple and desirable form, but obviously it could be modified Without departure from the spirit of the invention. Essentially the flange ll provides an edge er lip Which bears against the cartridge head in a line closely surrounding the path of the punch, or at least, Well Within the circumference of the head, and excludes the liquid from the space into Which the gas is discharged, leaving an annular area of the cartridge head which comprises the major part of the entire area of the head, exposed to Contact With the liquid. Provided this condition is preserved, the offset flange or Wall 11 could be made of other forms than the conical form shown.

It will be observed that the head l of the asing is of simple form, Wholly open in its interior and Without any internal structure for supporting the cartridge and gas conducting tube 15, these elements being supported entirely by the tube 9, which in turn is secured to and held by the cover. The tube 9, cover, cartridge and tube 15 may be lassembled outside of the extinguisher casing and applied to the latter as a unit.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A lire extinguisher ot the type employing an extinguishing liquid and compressed gas as the agent for expelling the liquid, said extinguisher having means in its normally upper part for supporting a compressed gas cartridge and being invertible for use, means for puncturing the head et the cartridge Which is lowermost When inverted, partitioning means separating the space into which gas may flow from the punctured cartridge, from the space in which liquid is contained, the cartridge being in the latter space and surrounded by the liquid when the extinguisher is inverted, and the partitioning means being arranged to permit contact ot the liquid with the cartridge head over the surta-ce of the latter around the point et escape of the gas, and conducting means for leading gas from the former space into the inverted bottom part of the extinguisher above the level of the liquid.

2. A lire extinguisher of the class employing an extinguishing liquid and a charge or' compressed gas for expelling the liquid, including means for holding a closed cartridge containing compressed gas, means for puncturing the cartridge to release the gas, and partitioning means for separating the space into Which gas may loW from the punctured cartridge, romthe space containing the extinguishing liquid, said partitioning means being disposed to permit access of the liquid to substantially the entire external surface of the cartridge except an area su'liiciently large to be entered by the puncturing means, when the extinguisher is inverted.

3. A fire extinguisher of the type including a cartridge containing compressed gas as the impelling agent for the extinguishing liquid and adapted to be inverted for use, said extinguisher having internal means separating the space within which the extinguishing liquid is contained from the space into which gas is initially discharged from the cartridge, and puncturing means adapted to penetrate a Wall of such cartridge, the said internal separating means being disposed to permit access of the liquid, when the extinguisher is inverted, to the said wall over an area well within the circumference thereof, while excluding the liquid from that part of the wall through which the puncturing means passes.

4. A lire extinguisher comprising a shell adapted to contain extinguishing liquid and a cartridge holding a charge of compressed gas for expelling the liquid when released, a holder for the cartridge embracing one end thereof and including an interior flange making a complete circuit about an interior space and arranged to bear on the head over an outline at the end of such space which encloses an area substantially less than the area of such head and to exclude the extinguishing liquid from such enclosed area and from the adjacent space enclosed by the flange, said holder being of open construction adequate to permit access of the ex# tinguishing liquid to the cartridge head outside of said flange, and puncturing means arranged and operable to penetrate the cartridge head in the area surrounded by the flange.

5. A fire extinguisher comprising a shell having an open end, a cap for said shell, a sleeve secured to the cap extending into the shell and having an open end adapted to receive and secure a compressed gas cartridge, said sleeve having also an interior flange or partition arranged to make contact with the head of such cartridge on an outline surrounding an area substantially less than that of the cartridge head, and the sleeve between its cartridge receiving end and the zone from which said flange springs being ofopen construction uto admit the extinguishing liquid, the sleeve having also an outlet leading from the interior space of the sleeve within the flange.

6. An extinguisher comprising a shell having an open end, a cap detachably mounted on said open end and having an interior threaded boss, a cartridge holding sleeve detachably screwed to said boss and extending into the shell, being open and internally threaded at its opposite end to receive and secure a cartridge containing compressed gas, the sleeve having an internal annular flange extending from its sides provided with a contracted rim adapted to make contact with the head of the gas cartridge, and the sleeve having an opening in its side between the cartridge receiving end and the Zone from which said flange springs and also having a gas outlet from the interior space within the flange.

7. A fire extinguisher of the class employing an extinguishing liquid and a cartridge containing a charge of compressed gas for supplying pressure to expel the liquid, said extinguisher comprising a cover for its charging opening and a puncturing tool for making an opening in the cartridge,

a holder for the cartridge separate from the cover adapted to hold the cartridge enveloped in the extinguishing liquid when the extinguisher is inverted and having means for permitting access of the liquid to the cartridge head around and near the area penetrated by said puncturing tool, while maintaining a separation between the liquid containing space of the extinguisher and the space into which the gas is discharged from the punctured cartridge.

In testimony whereof I have aflifxed my signature.

ARTHUR c. BADGER. 

